Polybutadiene rubber: Production
Rising Chinese output as Western plants close
What this tab covers Who makes it and how much: world capacity and output, utilisation, the top producing countries and companies globally and in India, concentration, new capacity coming, and each region's position.| Measure | Figure | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| World capacity | about 5 Mt/yr world (indicative) | indicative | |
| World output | about 3.7 Mt (2025, derived) | derived from butadiene tile | |
| Capacity utilisation | about 70-75% (indicative) | Chinese BR output and exports rose in 2025 while European and US capacity shrank, including Arlanxeo's Port Jérôme closure (GlobalData, Dec 2025). | GlobalData via Just Auto, Dec 2025; utilisation indicative |
| Concentration | China about 35%; top three countries about 57% (indicative) | Producers include Sinopec, PetroChina, Kumho Petrochemical, Arlanxeo, Goodyear, UBE, Sibur, Synthos, Reliance and TSRC. | indicative |
| New capacity | Chinese additions continue; Western closures (Port Jérôme 2025) | Named BR projects with sizes were not found in sources reached. China's butadiene market is expected to move from deficit to surplus by 2035 (S&P Global, Sep 2025, headline), supporting more Chinese BR. | S&P Global, Sep 2025; GlobalData via Just Auto, Dec 2025 |
Top producing countries
China 35% · Sinopec, PetroChina, private producers (indicative) South Korea 12% · Kumho Petrochemical, LG Chem (indicative) United States 10% · Goodyear, Firestone Polymers (indicative) Western Europe 10% · Arlanxeo, Versalis, Synthos (indicative) Japan 8% · UBE Elastomer, ENEOS Materials, Zeon (indicative) Russia 7% · Sibur (indicative) indicativeLargest producers: global
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinopec multiple BR plants (Yanshan, Qilu, Gaoqiao and others; indicative) | China | not published | 2025 | not published in sources reached |
| PetroChina Daqing, Dushanzi, Sichuan (indicative) | China | not published | 2025 | not published in sources reached |
| Kumho Petrochemical one of the largest BR makers (indicative) | South Korea | not published | 2025 | not published in sources reached |
| Arlanxeo (Saudi Aramco) Buna CB Nd-BR; closed Port Jérôme, France, 2025 | Netherlands / Saudi Arabia | not published | 2025 | GlobalData via Just Auto, Dec 2025 |
| Goodyear Chemical Beaumont, Texas; mostly captive (indicative) | US | not published | 2025 | not published in sources reached |
| UBE Elastomer BR plants in Japan, Thailand and China (indicative) | Japan | not published | 2025 | not published in sources reached |
| Sibur Voronezh (indicative) | Russia | not published | 2025 | not published in sources reached |
Largest producers: India
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reliance Industries India's main PBR producer, integrated with its butadiene (capacity not published) | India | not published | 2025 | butadiene tile (Reliance feeds own SBR and PBR) |
Reliance is India's main BR producer, using its own butadiene (butadiene tile). Indian tyre makers import the balance, mainly from Korea, China, Russia and Singapore (indicative). Domestic tyre-driven demand is forecast to grow about 5% a year in 2025-2029 (S&P Global via butadiene tile).
Position by region
| Region | Position |
|---|---|
| US | Captive Goodyear and Firestone supply; US butadiene spot $562/t at end-Nov 2025 (GlobalData). |
| EU | Arlanxeo closed Port Jérôme; Europe butadiene contract fell to EUR720/t in Dec 2025 (GlobalData). |
| India | Reliance plus imports; growing truck and passenger tyre output. |
| China | Largest producer and growing exporter; SHFE BR futures set a visible price (indicative). |
| Japan | Specialty grades (UBE, ENEOS Materials, Zeon). |
| Middle East | Little BR; Aramco owns Arlanxeo (indicative). |